El Greco

Domenikos Theotokopoulous ( El Greco) was said to have been born in Crete, approximately 25 kilometers from Heraklion ( then known as Chandax) near an old church of the Virgin Mary (Theotokos). This is believed to be the village of Fodele and the reputed house of his birth is indeed next to a very ancient church of "The Panagia"(Theotokos) from where the family is said to take their name

The island was under Venetian rule at the time

This 1000 year old plane tree would have been an old tree when El Greco was born in 1541- amazing

The church of the Panagia next to the reputed home of El Greco

The Byzantine church is built on the even earlier foundations of a 7c church

The older church was a basilica with three aisles

You can clearly see the older structure

Next to the church is a museum dedicated to El Greco housed in his reputed birthplace

The old oven

The oven from the outside

Inside are many illuminated copies of his paintings

I particularly liked this painting of his family  - which includes the cat!

A room set out as an artists studio illustrating the type of paints he would have been working with

Truly amazing how a boy from a tiny village in Crete could travel to Spain in the 1500's and become one of the world's greatest artists. 

Last night I watched the film El Greco - here is a trailer - a great film!